Lighting fixture assembly



July 19, 1949. GEENENS LIGHTING FIXTURE ASSEMBLY 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FiledAug. 11, 1947 L 5 @EENENS a E to: w

Patented July 19, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE LIGHTING FIXTUREASSEMBLY Leo Geenens, Katonah, N. Y. Application August 11, 1947, SerialNo. 787,891

This invention is an improved mounting for fluorescent lamps of thelong, slim tubular type. The improved mounting is particularlyadvantageous where a number of lamps ar mounted in a long line, ingroups connected in series, for l ghting an elongated passage, such as avehicular or railway tunnel, corridors. loading platforms, and largerooms, although its use is not restricted to any particular locality.

The mounting is particularly advantageous, however, for lighting avehicular tunnel and the invention will be particularly described inconnection with such use.

In the prior art, tunnels have been lighted by providing inset cast ironboxes, set into the roof or sidewall of the tunnel, the outer or exposedparts being usually of bronze, serving to support protecting sheets ofglass, above or behind which incandescent lamps are mounted. This typeof fixture must be watertight, involving the use of gaskets. Such afixture is quite expensive; moreover, in replacing the incandescentlamp, the protecting glass sheet must be removed, which is a timeconsuming operation. The same applies where fluorescent lamps are merelysubstituted for the incandescent lamps using appropriate inset boxes. Inbusy vehicular tunnels. trafiic fiows twenty-four hours a. day, and itis important that the lamps be replaced quickly, so that traflie is notblocked any longer than necessary.

One of the important objects of the invention is to provide an improvedfixture for fluorescent lamps, one of the advantages of such a fixturebeing that it does not need to be recessed into the roof or sides of atunnel and does not re, quire the use of sheets of glass coverin e essedlamps. nor the use of gasketed joints, thereby saving a great deal ofexpense.

Another important object is to provide a fluorescent tube fixturewherein an old or defective light may be removed and replaced in a fewseconds.

In vehicular tunnels, greasy dust tends to de-.

' or the rinsing water coming in contact with the high potentialterminals inside the fixture.

Another important object of the vinvention is to provide a fixturecomprising essentially a Claims. (Cl. (F-51.11)

lighting cartridge including a tubular Jacket usually made of glass withclosure plugs and electrodes therein. This cartridge is removablysupported from end brackets secured to the wall or ceiling, so that bysimply inserting the lghting cartridge in its place between thebrackets, the electrical connections are made and the lamps are lighted.The'lamps used are usually tubular vapor lamps having a single contactat each end but lamps with double contacts at each end may also beaccommodated.

Another important object Of the invention is to provide a fixture inwhich a unitary lighting cartridge composed of a jacket and one or morefluorescent lamps operatively mounted therein, can be removed andreplaced in a few seconds by another similar cartridge, in the eventthat the lamps in any cartridge had become defective.

Another important object of the invention is the provision or a fixturewhich will require. when a number of them are mounted in a long line, aminimum number of supporting brackets; this is advantageous inasmuch aseach bracket constitutes a break in the continuity of the line or lightand each additional bracket involves additional cost. The lightingcartridge of my improved fixture permits the lighting of several lampsof conventional length in series, or specially built long lamps, withoutthe use of intermediate supporting brackets in the wall or celling,thereby greatly increasing the spacing of the brackets and productingamore nearly continuous line of light.

Another important object of the invention is to provide a fixture inwhich the lampsare protected from breakage, from flying objects such aspieces of automobile tire chains or from flapping tarpaulins carried ontops of vehicles, or through blasts of air, such as occur when largevehicles travel at high speed in vehicular tunnels. The conventionaltubular lamps themselves unenclosed in a jacket are too delicate toresist these conditions, particularly when long lamps are mountedhorizontally and supported from their ends.

Another important object of the invention is to provide a fixture inwhich water and cleaning solutions can flow freely through the highvoltage contact-making parts, without causing an electric current toflow through the water or solution to the workman applying them.

Another important object of the invention is to provide a fixture inwhich a means is provided to prevent electric shocks to the workmenhandling the lighting cartridge.

Another important object of the invention is to provide a fixture inwhich the fluorescent lamp is enclosed in a chamber, thereby protectingit from the cold air in winter and thereby greatly increasing the lightoutput of the lamp.

4 3 Further advantages of structure and operation will be described inconnection with the accompanying drawings, showing the invention in moredetail wherein:

Figure Ilf'i aside view, partly in section onja reduced" scale.' ofseveral of the cartridges th ir es ective brackets, mounted in line in er p block 30. A high voltage terminaldnsulator l2 -is.held'against theother side of the conductor forming the subject matter of thisinvention.

. Figure 2 is a side elevation of the flourescent light unit and theircooperating bracket, ona larger scale, with parts in section,transformer with high and low voltage terminals and cooperating with theadjacent ends of two cartridges.

Figure .3 is a vertical cross section on line 8-4 of Figure 2.

' showing the bestos washer 22 and a metal grounding shim 24, groundedby wire l2d, Fig. 3, connecting it to grounding clamp l2a. Seatedagainst this shim is a h gh .voltage terminal insulator 26 for the highvoitagelcbnductorf'lt, energized by its connection to high voltage leadIt of the transformer.

bybolts 33 secured to an asbestos strip 33aand "ispro'vided'with aconvex annular projecting insulat ng plug 8|, having a hole 36 therein.

Figure 4 is a vertical cross section on line 1-4 01' Figure 2-.

Figure 5 is a vertical cross section on line of Figure 2.

Figure 6 is a vertical cross section on lineJ-l Y Figure 11 is anelevation of the grounding shim.

Figure 12 is an elevation of the high voltage terminal.

Figure 13 is a side view of the lighting cartridge. Referring now tothese drawings, the fixture comprises a metal orplastic bracket 2, withbare or' painted or porcelain nameled surfaces, anc'hored to the cablebox in. embedded in the roof or walls of a tunnel, for example, by bolts4. The housing includes a box 6 for the transformer 8. A power cable 9is connected to bolt "4 passing through a porcelain insulator llb, beingsecured to box 6 by a screw llic passing through the insulator andengaging a securing washer llld on the inside of box 8. Bolt lta isconnected to one lead I I of the primary of the transformer, the returnlead It being connected to a bolt similar to Na, also mounted ininsulator llb and in turn connected to a continuing portion to of thepower cable leading to the next adjacent fixture. The power cables maybe housed in pipes ll. 7

The low voltage or grounded lead 12 of the transformer is electricallyconnected to a clamp l2a, the clamp being electrically connected to box8, and carrying a grounding cable lZb, this grounding cable beingsecured to clamp Ila, in electrical contact with cable box la. The cablebox is grounded in any convenient way, as by connecting it to a baregrounding cable (not shown), extending along from one cable box tothenext.

The high voltage lead I3 01' the transformer is connected to thefluorescent lamps; as will be described below.

. inwardly extending annular rib 18 defining an opening ll; Seatedagainst flange I8 is an as! Seated against the other side of flange I8is a grounding spring 40, secured to the outer end of which is a lowvoltage terminal cup 42 provided with a low voltage contact pin 44anchored by nut 48. Spring 40 and cup 42 may be connected by wire togrounding clamp l2a or otherwise grounded, the low voltage of thesecondary of the transformer being grounded, through no and I20, asalready described.

" The lighting cartridge, for quick connection and disconnection withthe foregoing bracket,

will now be described. This lighting cartridge comprises a straighttubular jacket 50 of glass or other transparent or translucent material,within which is coaxially housed one or more fluorescent tubes 52, ofthe'hot or cold cathode type, having a single'electrode 54 at one endand a single electrode 56 at the other end of the container. Tubes 52are positioned in their jacket by annular holders 58 and 60' at the endsof the jacketand by similar holders atthe connection point of two lampswhen several lamps are used in series.

At the high voltage end, jacket 50 has threaded thereon a metal can 62having a terminal flange 14 for holding an insulating closure plug 66,

which has an annular flange for seating against the end of 50. Closureplug 56 is recessed as at II to fit over, but in spaced relation with,projection N, to define therebetween a drainage passage [0 for water orcleaning solution. Closure plug 66 is provided with a high voltageelectrodepin 12, which connects the high voltage terminal 30 withterminal 54 of the fluorescent tube.

At the low voltage end of thedighting cartridge, jacket has threadedthereon a metal cap 14, having a terminal flange 1G for holding aninsulating closure plug [8, which has an annular projection 80. Closureplug 18 is' centrally recessed to receive the low voltagecontact pin 44,which bears against electrode 82 in the recess. Electrode 82, at itsleft end, engages with a threaded contact washer 84, in contact withconnecting spring 86 which in turn is in contact with holder whichcontacts with the electrode 56 of the fluorescent tube.

It will be apparent that the low voltage connections just describedapply to a second jacket 50 and light 52 of the next aligned lightingcartridge, and that the described connections are duplicated at theright hand end (not shown) of jacket 50 and light 52 shown at the rightof Figure 2. v

It will be seen that to insert a lighting cartridge, the right hand endmust be inserted in cup 42 and pushed to the right to compress spring 40until the left hand end of the lighting cartridge has cleared the loweredge of cavity it after which the left hand end can be lifted andinserted h If, however, the left hand end' Conductor 28 terminates incontact over insulator ll. his hand would not come in contact withelectrode I! because of the projection 80 and therefore he would notcomplete the circuit oi-the lamps and be subjected to an electric shock.

An accumulation of dust, carbon, moisture, etc, on the exterior ofjacket I of the light cartridge might form a conductive layer that wouldbe dangerous to an operator grasping jacket 50 of the light cartridgefor removing it. In order to avoid this. bracket 2 isprovided with aresilient grounding spring ll, anchored by screw 92, which bears againstthe metal cap 62 of the lighting cartridge, as shown at the right ofFigure 2. Any stray voltage emanating from pin 12 over the surface ofinsulator 86 is thereby grounded. This spring is preferably made ofphosphor-bronze.

The described lighting cartridges are preferably mounted in a continuousstraight line and two or more may be in series, as in Figure 1.

In operation, with a lighting cartridge in operative position, as inFigure 2, a defective light may be quickly removed by an operator whograsps the cartridge, moves it to the right against spring ll,sumciently to disengage and clear the inter-fitting insulator 3| and 66,to clear the right hand end of cavity l6 and of course, breaking thehigh voltage connection between electrode 12 and contact 30. Thecartridge is then moved downwardly and pulled out of low voltageterminal cup 42 and clear of the left hand edge of cavity it in theadjacent bracket. A new cartridge may be inserted by reversing theseoperations. These operations may be performed in a few seconds, animportant consideration in vehicular tunnels where trafilc should beinterrupted for as short a time as possible.

This quick change is made possible by the improved lighting cartridge,comprising the jacket 50, the fluorescent tube mounted therein, and thecontact electrodes at each end of the cartridge; it is also madepossible by the improved bracket, built as described, to cooperate withsuch improved lighting cartridge.

Lighting cartridges and brackets as described may be washed and cleanedby a pressure stream of cleaning solution and water, without danger ofgrounding through the stream. The right hand end of cavity l6 and thezig-zag passage 10 impede the flow towards high voltage contact 12 butany water or solution which may reach this contact will drain away. Anystray high voltage current is grounded by the grounding spring 80 andthe grounded metal shim 24.

With the cartridge of this invention, shown in its entirety in Fig. 13,the relatively fragile light tubes 52 are always protected by theheavier protecting jacket 50. The rigidity afforded by the heavierjacket 50 provides a cartridge of sub- I stantial length, much longerthan could be ospanned by an ordinary fluorescent lamp; single jacket 50therefore carries several lamps 'infline, as shown in Fig. 13.

A particularly important feature of the jacket 50 is that it encloses anannular insulating body of air surrounding the lamps, serving to keepthem relatively warm, which is especially valuable in winter, becausethe lighting effect of fluorescent lamps is greatly diminished at lowtemperatures.

nated. Any moisture is drained away through passage ll. Any stray highvoltage is grounded through end cap 62 and contact 90.

With the unitary cartridge and cooperating fixture of the presentinvention, a defective or worn-out lamp may be very quickly replaced,

with a minimum of interruption to trafllc, a feature of particularimportance in a trafllc tunnel.

While the preferred embodiment of the invention has been described indetail, it should be understood that the invention is not limited to theexact details shown, but may be carried out in other ways.

I claim as my invention:

1. A lighting cartridge for fluorescent lamps, comprising a translucenttubular jacket, a closure plug of insulating material for each end ofsaid jacket, a cap detachably secured to each end of said jacket, eachcan including means bearing against the outer peripheral portion of saidplug, and cooperating with the end of said jacket, for holding saidclosure plug in place in the end of the jacket, each of said closureplugs being provided with an electrode passing therethrough, a tubularfluorescent lamp mounted in said jacket, and electrodes in the ends ofsaid fluorescent lamp in electrical contact with the electrodes in theplugs in the ends of the jackets, the whole constituting a unitarycartridge which may be handled and installed or removed as a unit inrelation to a suitable fixture.

2. A lighting cartridge for fluorescent lamps, comprising a translucenttubular jacket, a closure plug of insulating material for each end ofsaid jacket, a cap detachably secured to each end of said jacket, eachcap including means bearing against the outer peripheral portion of saidplug, and cooperating with the end of said jacket, for holding saidclosure plug in place in the end of the jacket, one of said closureplugs being internally recessed in its outside face, an electrodepassing through said recessed plug and positioned in said recess, anelectrode passing through the other closure plug, a tubular fluorescentlamp mounted in said jacket, and electrodes in the ends of thefluorescent lamp in electrical contact with the electrodes in thejacket, the whole constituting a unitary cartridge which may be handledand installed or removed as a unit in relation to a suitable fixture.

3. In combination, a pair of horizontally disposed, open-ended brackets,a high voltage terminal positioned in each bracket, a low voltageterminal positioned in each bracket, spring means positioned in eachbracket and cooperating with its low voltage terminal; light ngcartridges cooperating with said brackets, each lighting cartridgecomprising a translucent tubular jacket, a closure plug of insulatingmaterial for each end of said jacket, a cap detachably secured to eachend of said jacket, each cap including means bearing against the outerperipheral portion of said closure plug and cooperating with the end ofsaid jacket, for holding said closure plug in place in the end of thejacket, each of said closure plugs being provided with an electrodepassing therethrough, a tubular fluorescent lamp mounted in said jacket,electrodes in the ends of said fluorescent lamp in electrical contactwith the electrodes in the plugs in the ends of the jacket, the wholeconstituting a unitary carauaase 4. The combination "as claimed in claim3,

wherein the cap at the high voltage end of; said cart-ridgeis of metaland wherein the adjacent portion of the bracket is provided with meanscontacting said metal can for grounding it.

;In combination, a pair of horizontally disposed, open-ended brackets, arecessed high voltage terminal in each bracket, a high voltage contactset within the recess of each bracket, a low voltage terminal positionedin each bracket, spring means positioned in each bracket and cooperatingwith its low voltage terminal; lighting cartridges cooperating with saidbrackets, each lighting cartridge comprising a translucent tubularjacket, a closure plug of insulating material for each end of saidjacket, a cap detachably secured to each end of said jacket, each capincluding means bearing. against the outer peripheral portion ofsaidclosure plug andcooperating with the end of 'said jacket, for holdingsaid closure plug in place in the end of the jacket,

Y one of said closure plugs being internally recessed in its outsideface, a first electrode passing through said recessed plug andpositioned in said recess, a second electrode passing through 8 theelectrodes in said closure"plugs,'the whole constituting 'a unitarycartridge which may be handled and installed or removed as a unit byengaging or disengagingone end of said cartridge with or from saidspring means in said other bracket, said-spring means normally servingto hold the electrode at the opposite end oi the tubular lamp inelectrical'contact with the high voltage terminal in the other bracket.said convex portion of the high voltage terminal interfltting withrtheconcave portion of the closure plug at the high voltage end of the lamp,

' said convex and concave portions when so interthe other closure plug,a tubular fluorescent lamp mounted in said jacket, electrodes in theends of the fluorescent lamp in electrical contact with the electrodesin the jacket, the whole constituting a unitary cartridge which may behandled and installed or removed as a unit by engaging or disengagingone end of said cartridge with or from said spring means in onebracket.-said spring means normally serving to hold said first electrodeof said cartridge in electrical contact with the recessed high voltageterminal in the other bracket. L

6. The combination as claimed in claim 5, wherein the cap at the highvoltage end of said cartridge 'is of metal and wherein the cooperatingportlon'of the bracket is provided'with means contacting said metal capfor grounding it.

'7. In combination, ,a pair of horizontally disposed, open-endedbrackets, a high voltage terminal, including a convex portion,positioned in one bracket, 2. low voltage terminal positioned in theother bracket, spring means positioned in said other bracket andcooperating with said low voltage terminal therein; a lighting cartridgecomprising a translucent tubular jacket, a closure plug of insulatingmaterial for the high voltage end of said jacket, said closure plughaving a concave portion, a closure plug of insulating material for thelow voltage end of said jacket, a cap detachablysecured to each end ofsaid jacket, each cap including means bearing against the outerperipheral portion of said closure plug and cooperating with the end ofsaid jacket, for holding said closure plug in place in the end 'of thejacket, each of said closure plugs being provided with an electrodepassing therethrough, a tubular fluorescent lamp mounted in said jacket,

electrodes in the end of the lamp in contact with 70 within said jacket,each fitted being spaced apart to provide a drainage channel formoisture therebetween.

8. The combination as claimed, in claim '7, wherein the cap at the highvoltage end of the jacket is of metal and wherein the bracket isprovided with means contacting said metal cap for grounding it.

9. In combination, a pair of open-ended brackets, high and low tensionterminals carried by each bracket, each high tension terminal comprisinga plug made of insulating material and having a convex portion providedwith a recess; an electrodein said recess; lighting cartridgescooperating with said'brackets, each cartridge including a translucentjacket, a fluorescent tube jacket being provided with an end closureplug of insulating material having a concave portion, an electrodepositioned in theconcave portion of said closure plug, a cap, detachablysecured to each end of said jacket, each cap including means bearingagainst the outer peripheral portion or said closure plug andcooperating with the end of said jacket, for =holding said closure plugin place in the end of the jacket, said convex and concave portions ofsaid REFERENCES CITED 4 The following references are of record in thefileof this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name I Date 1,084,362 Reagan Jan. 13, 1911,137,773 Marsden May 4, 191 1,291,443 Dorsey Jan. 14, 191 1,696,663Becker, Dec. 25, 192 1,791,625 Kollath Feb; 10, 1931 1,976,378 VroomanOct. 9, 1934 2,109,341 Rebl Feb. 22, 1938 2,318,536 Stern May 4, 19432,336,750 Roney et a1. Dec. 14, 1943 2,392,202 Tornblom Jan. 1, 19462,393,180 Merrill Jan. 15, 1946 2,401,555 De Reamer June 4, 19462,438,012

Laidig Mar. 16, 1948

